The finance classroom meets the outside world (and vice-versa). Back away slowly from the computer with your hands up and your mind open, and with luck nobody gets hurt.

Want to be notified when a new article is posted? Entere your email here.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

"What a weirdo. What's wrong with him?"

Arnold Kilng has a thought provoking piece over at Econlog titled "Why Be Normal" that explains why so many innovative ideas are dismissed out of hand. He writes.

Suppose you're interviewing a smart guy, without a college degree, and he offers you a money-back guarantee. You might think "What a great deal" and accept. But then again, you might start thinking "What a weirdo. What's wrong with him?"

And this, I propose, is the stumbling block to lots of worthwhile innovations. A person with an unconventional idea may have a point, but is also unlikely to be "normal." He may not fit it with other people. He may have problems with authority. He may be deviant in more ways than one!